U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar said early Tuesday that he was “hacked” after a message calling Israel a “terrorist state” was posted on his X account.
“I was just hacked, and a misleading tweet was sent from my account,” the Detroit Democrat said on X, formerly Twitter, around 2:15 a.m. “I have deleted the tweet and taken steps to secure my account."
Thanedar included a lengthy statement doubling down on his support of Israel, saying the country’s “right to defend itself is absolute.”
“Our unwavering commitment to Israel’s security is grounded in shared values and a longstanding partnership,” he said. “While we work for peace, we must ensure that our ally is always able to defend itself against external threats.”
I was just hacked, and a misleading tweet was sent from my account. I have deleted the tweet and taken steps to secure my account. My official statement on Israel is below: pic.twitter.com/XxBXfsoD2I
— Shri Thanedar (@ShriThanedar) December 5, 2023
The initial message was posted around midnight and quickly spread as people questioned whether Thanedar was hacked or has once again changed his position on Israel.
“I can no longer stay silent on the genocide taking place in Palestine,” the initial post read. “Israel has paid off politicians for far too long. I know this means I’ll lose AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee] financial support but I don’t need it. We need to come together to #FreePalestine from the terrorist state of Israel.”
Following Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7, Thanedar, a businessman and millionaire originally from India, quickly became one of the most vocal members of Congress to criticize fellow Democrats who have shown sympathy with Palestinians who are being killed by the thousands. Thanedar said he was renouncing his membership in the Democratic Socialists of America over its response to the conflict and suggested U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib was an antisemite.
But Thanedar was not always a zealous supporter of Israel. While he was a state representative two years ago, Thanedar co-sponsored a resolution that called on Congress to end U.S. funding to Israel’s military. The resolution also labeled Israel as an “apartheid” state.
The resolution, which never reached the floor for a vote, urged the “Congress of the United States to enact policies that halt taxpayer funded aid to Israel, which supports the military detention of Palestinian children; the unlawful seizure, appropriation, and destruction of Palestinian property; forcible displacement, harm, and killing of civilians in the West Bank; or any further annexation of Palestinian land in violation of international law.”
The resolution was so alarming to Zionists that the United Democracy Project, a pro-Israel political action committee, spent more than $2.7 million on ads last year to support Thanadar’s congressional opponent, then-state Sen. Adam Hollier, a Detroit Democrat. The PAC bought an additional $1.4 million worth of ads attacking Thanedar.
Thanedar later withdrew his support for the bill.
Thanedar signed onto a bipartisan resolution “standing with Israel,” and over the summer, he traveled to Israel as part of a congressional delegation trip sponsored by the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
“My visit to Israel in August fully opened my eyes to the constant danger ordinary Israelis face every day,” Thanedar told Metro Times in a statement in October. “Surrounded by adversaries, Israelis live in a state of constant alert and terror. The anti-Israeli rally in Time Square this past Sunday promoted by the NYC-DSA, where the bloodthirsty crowd cheered hatred, bigotry, and murder, sickened me and made me decide to renounce my membership in DSA. We must unequivocally stand with Israel and fight all terrorism and antisemitism across the globe without hesitation.”
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